Will the wind please STOP???

It was a rocky night last night....I ended up going to the salon at about 4am to lay on one of the settees.  It was too bouncy for me up in the Vberth.  At daylight, Willis was up the stairs and waiting to be let off the boat.  He was over it, too.

The wind continued to build all day.  It was a steady 20-25 knots; overnight, there were gust even higher.  Richard came along this afternoon and helped Donnie get a forward port line tied to hold us off the dock better. I was worried about leaving the boat for Friday Night Pizza Night and a movie at Ken and Lucille's.  The boat has been in constant motion over a day now, still slamming out of the N/NW.  When I went to get groceries this afternoon, I felt like I was drunk walking down the aisles.  Thank goodness I had a grocery cart to hang on to.  When I reached down in the dryer to get my laundry out, I nearly fell over.  Clearly my equilibrium is a little messed up.  I feel as if I have been out to sea for days, and we haven't even left the dock!

Check out the palm trees...

Donnie spent the afternoon running down all the engine fittings and the fuel lines.  Sadly, it seems most apparent that our fuel tank needs pulled.  There's a pin hole somewhere, that is causing the slightest dripping of fuel into our bilge.  The tank has to come out.  Gah.  That's tomorrow's project.

I got back from the laundry and found a rooster roosting in my purse.
That could only mean one thing; Kenny has been on the boat.
He knows how much I STRONGLY DISLIKE roosters.
 

It was fun to get together with family and friends for dinner tonight.  There were 14 of us, and it took 8 large pizzas from the Hurricane to feed us all.  Ken and Lucille are now in their "deluxe condo" and they have the perfect set up for a party at their place.  The movie on tap was 12 Years a Slave.  It was dark. and depressing. and sad. and sickening.  Mom and Pop walked out about thirty minutes in to it.  I later wished I had done the same.  I just don't have the stomach for those kinds of shows anymore.  I find them too disturbing, and too upsetting.  I felt the same way at Lone Survivor a few weeks ago.  I recognize the story deserves to be told, and heard, and understood- but I cannot take the graphic-ness of it all.  I spent more time looking away from the screen rather than looking at the screen.  I vote for a Disney movie next week :)

We came home from our friends and Willis came bounding out of the mangroves to greet us.  It was still blowing stink, and it was still bouncing us up and down, but he was ready for some cuddles. I guess.  The wind is supposed to abate before morning, I surely hope it does.  I'm tired of feeling punch drunk!

At about 11pm, Brett came pounding on our boat, saying he was the sheriff- what the heck?!  Brett is back in town!  He's sold his O'Day 27, and is down to help Danny get Biddi and the Beast ready to sail to Central America.  He's currently unattached, available, and with a little money in his pocket, so why not?!  I'm afraid he has at least a month's worth of work to get that boat sea worthy at the very least.  More power to them.  Danny definitely needs an extra set of hands on board to help him with the crossing, so it's nice of him to oblige.  I will be praying daily for their safe passage.  I made Brett promise me to  keep me informed of their whereabouts.

Our plans to sail to the Bahamas for a month are slipping through our fingers already.  We got a call from our tax man today.  Rather than a healthy refund, like we have received in year's past, we now owe over $2600 to federal, state, and to the tax man.  This was in a year that we made significantly less as it was due to my hours being cut and Donnie wrapping up the Fix It business the end of October.  It was not at all what we were expecting. (insert sad face)  Rather than an extra three B.O.A.T.S. being deposited to our account this time of year, we are out two and a half B.O.A.T.S. instead- that's over a $5k surprise in all, and not a pleasant surprise.  We have even toyed with the idea of heading home early.  We need to think on it some more, and revisit our financial picture.  Between that bit of news, the dark movie, and the wind that won't lay down, I was ready to cash it in and call it a day- and hope for something better tomorrow.

Willis "supervised" me brushing my teeth and getting
ready for bed. It was time to call it a night for him, too.
Dern cat.  We love him.
G'nite, y'all!